


Eyes On The Prize (Not On You)

by hyuckieberry (95pjm)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Asshole Exes, By Like A Year, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Getting Together, Humour, Idiots in Love, M/M, Making Out, Oblivious!Donghyuck, Oblivious!Mark, Sharing Clothes, Slightly aged-up characters, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-09 13:12:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14716703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/95pjm/pseuds/hyuckieberry
Summary: Where there's a grand prize at stake, a few hurdles to cross, and some home truths to uncover.





	Eyes On The Prize (Not On You)

**Author's Note:**

> i tried to make this funny but my humour is like the stale crisp you find after leaving it for out too long so :')))))

Mark doesn’t really know how Donghyuck’s mind works sometimes. He’s known the boy for half a decade now, ever since he strolled in one day in high school and promptly got shoved a flyer in his face for an anime club. It was neon green, with pink text and so much sparkles Mark still thinks he can find it in his hand to this day. Long story short, he not only joined a club he had zero knowledge in that day but also gained a whirlwind by the name of Donghyuck.

It’s possibly his best and worst decision to date.

But, again. To reiterate. Mark doesn’t really know how Donghyuck’s mind works sometimes. He once found the boy in his room (he stopped asking the logical questions a long time ago; like how the fuck Donghyuck managed to get in without any keys) blasting some bizarre tune and casting his floor with what he inspected it later to discover, flour. And there was also that other time he got dragged to a show that went on for three hours simply talking about Studio Ghibli.

Bottom line is, Donghyuck’s that Rubix cube Mark still hasn’t solved from fifth grade.

He has tried to before. Figure out how Donghyuck works. It came out fruitless.

In the end, Donghyuck is a storm Mark could not contain, found he doesn’t really want to along the way, and he’s perfectly content now with being swept in and getting lost under the boy’s charms and smiles.

That isn’t to say though he doesn’t questions the boys’ antics. Because he does. _A lot._ It often leaves him more confused than he started out with, but Mark always has an inkling when Donghyuck stretches his boundaries, and then some.

Like when Donghyuck thought running away from home was a good idea.

Or when he tried to ride a skateboard without any prior help or safety.

Or for instance, now, when he’s inconveniently signed them up for the competition Mark finds agitating, annoying and downright vexing.

“Donghyuck, care to explain why I woke up to good luck texts _and_ my name on the screen outside the reception for a tacky love show?” He bangs the door open, startling the younger inside. “Did you literally not hear a word of me ranting earlier on about how stupid it is and how it invalidates singles out here?” He fumes, entering Donghyuck’s room. There’s no ‘hello’, or ‘how are you’. Those kind of impractical greetings were lost somewhere between the second and final year of high school.  

Donghyuck, to his credit, looks embarrassed. He laughs awkwardly, sitting up from his previous position and placing his phone beside him. A colourful image of an anime character with a volleyball in his hand pops up on it. “Huh, I- um, I wonder who did that?”

“Donghyuck.”

“Yep, that’s me. Donghyuck.” He puts on his _absolutely done with your shit_ look and Donghyuck quells, holding his hands out in surrender. “Okay look.” He huffs, as if it’s an inconvenience to him and not Mark who had been sitting in a lecture earlier wondering why people were giving him odd looks. “I totally was going to tell you about it, I swear.”

Mark’s face no doubt, screams unimpressed. “When?” He snaps, “When I’m announcing my name to a platform of people? Or, when I’m strangling you in front of said audience for making me go through it?”

Donghyuck scratches his head, seemingly guilty. Mark knows for a fact he isn’t. He hadn’t been guilty when he ate the last cookie during the camping trip they had, and he certainly won’t be feeling guilty now. “Honest to God, I was going to tell you today.”

“What were you thinking?” Mark asks instead, closing the door behind him when he spots Felix, Donghyuck’s roommate curiously poking out his room. He strides up to Donghyuck’s bed, looking down sternly at him, giving no response when Donghyuck tries to elicit a smile out of him. “May I remind you, that we are both _pathetically_ single and this is a _couples_ event?”

Donghyuck lights up and it’s like he ignored everything Mark just said. He probably did. “But listen! The price is five grand and a year of scholarship, a year! That’s a third of our student loan out the window.”

It’s tempting, Mark knows. It’s the reason why so many couples join every year, the prize too hard to ignore. He states the obvious however. “But we’re not a couple, in case you have forgotten.”

“So?” Donghyuck shrugs. “We can pretend, can’t we? Put our acting skills to the test.”

Mark splutters. “We’re not going to lie just because we’re broke, Donghyuck.” Pressing on, he says. “Plus, what makes you think we’ll even win it?”

“We will, I can just feel it.” Donghyuck answers cryptically.

It makes him snort. “This is not your horoscope from Cosmopolitan telling you, is it?”

“You say that, but I caught you reading the magazine once too, Mark Lee.” Donghyuck hisses, offended. He jabs Mark’s chest for good measures. “In the love section too, out of all places.”

The older crosses his arms, rolling his eyes. He thought Donghyuck had forgotten about that. “Can I just say this is the stupidest idea you have ever came up with.”

Donghyuck gasps. “Even stupider than when we egged your ex’s house?”

“ _Yes_.” The answer -simple and to the point- makes the younger scoff, looking to the side sulkily. “We are not doing this, Donghyuck.”

“Come on! I’m tired of having instant noodles.” Donghyuck whines. He sits with his knees bent, legs folded underneath and hands clasping. His mouth is jutted exaggeratingly, and his eyes are extra big. It shouldn’t look endearing, but it does.

“We’re not going to win!”

“How hard can it be?” Donghyuck exclaims. “We go in, we act like we’re the gross, cheesy couple on every honeymoon website and we win, bam! Money’s ours!”

Mark slaps his hand over his eyes and stressfully counts to 10. “By that logic, I should be able to just start a business, act like Elon Musk and be rich, bam!” He glares witheringly at him. “But here we are, me wearing some cheap fake adidas tracks with an extra ‘a’ and you in your mismatched socks.”

“It’s fashion.” Donghyuck sniffs. “You wouldn’t know anything about it.”

“It’s called being broke.” Mark deadpans. He repeats, “I’m telling you, it’s a bad idea.”

“And I’m saying it’s good.” There’s fire in Donghyuck’s eyes. “When have I ever been wrong?”

 _A lot of times_ , Mark wants to say. But there’s a little waver, showing up for a second in his eyes. A second too long however. It’s all Donghyuck really needs. “Imagine the money, Mark.” He tempts.

“I don’t know…”

He perches on the edge of Donghyuck’s bed, running a hand over his hair. It’s a stupid idea, considering him and Donghyuck are just friends. _Will only remain friends,_ his mind says. Donghyuck’s pleading voice cuts through it. “It’s worth a shot, Mark. _Please_?”

He observes the boy, a feisty ray of sunshine Mark has come to know, heart too big for his body, personality so stubbornly loyal for his friends. He sees the burning spark in his Bambi brown eyes. He also remembers how there hasn’t been a time he said no to Donghyuck’s ideas. Even if it landed him in hospital a few times. Donghyuck is the pandora box Mark can’t help but open time and time again, even if it might land him in a place he doesn’t want to be.

It’s resigned, but it’s a thing they both undoubtedly saw coming. “Fine.”

The smile Donghyuck gives him is blinding.

 

\- ☼ -

 

“So, I heard you’re becoming a bit of a hotshot now?” Jeno nudges, and Mark wishes he skipped his lecture.

He slumps, fiddling with his pen as the professor continues talking about impulsiveness and momentum, throwing in some psychological terms just because he’s a cynical prick and wants Mark to fail. He regrets ever choosing this elective, having thought it’d be a change from his music major and being met with three-hundred paged books and a will to drown in misery.

At least he roped Jeno along with him to suffer.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He grits out, when Jeno doesn’t stop pestering him.

“Remember me when you’re famous.” Mark pushes Jeno’s pen off childishly, the latter scrambling to catch it before it falls in the row below and inevitably gets lost forever. “You ass.”

Mark cocks his head to his phone, notifications pinging, ranging from ‘ _when did you grow the balls to ask Donghyuck out?’_ courtesy of Jaehyun to a more polite ‘ _heard you’re in Amor Fati, good luck!’_ from Taeil. “I was held against my will.”

Jeno twirls his pen, giving him a look that both portrays disbelief and amusement. It’s a hard look to capture, Mark gives him that. “You say that as if Donghyuck held a gun to your head. He probably just whined a little and pouted and you gave in like the whipped person you are.”

“I am not whipped!” Mark barks, mumbling a soft ‘sorry’ when a few people in front of them turn their heads back. He lowers his voice. “The money was too tempting.”

Jeno’s lip purses. “Yeah, the _money_.”

Mark ignores him, jotting the date down on his notepad half an hour in. It’s a testament really to how much he gives a damn. Jeno hasn’t even taken his notepad out yet. “Yes, the money. I’m surprised we even got in considering how many people applied for the event.”

Jeno sits back, about to answer when his phone lights up. Lifting to see who it is, Mark can easily guess when his look turns dopey. It’s probably a while before he speaks again, Mark presumes. He’s seen how loved up Jeno can get when he’s around Renjun and Jaemin. Times that by two when he’s away from them and Mark is on the dire end of listening to Jeno rant about Renjun’s clavicles and Jaemin’s knees.

He turns away, attempting to concentrate and focus on his professor who’s still waffling and hasn’t moved past slide 3.

“…It’s called emotional inertia. It refers to the state of which a person is in indisposition to change, feelings that are inevitable to happen given the circumstances and actions…” The lecturer drones on.

His attention span lasts about three minutes. Mark gets up to the fifth unknown word. It’s a record, really.

He’s glad when Jeno finishes typing out his message, tucking his phone in his pocket and looking back at Mark. “What did you say again?”

“I said, I’m surprised we even got in.” Mark repeats. “I feel sorry for the actual couples out there who didn’t get in.”

Jeno waves him off, “Don’t be. I doubt they could even manage to pass the first round had they got in.” He leans in to whisper conspiringly. “I heard a couple signed up within two weeks of dating each other. Two weeks! I probably wouldn’t even know their birthday by then.”

He gives Jeno a confused look. “Should I remind you, we’re worse than them?” Mark shares, “As in, me and Donghyuck are not even together?”

Jeno laughs. “You don’t have to be together to be an old married couple. Which you are.”

“And you’re not?” Mark counters back, shoving the pleased feeling at being called a ‘couple’ inside him. “Why didn’t you guys sign up?”

The boy gives a half-hearted shrug. “Didn’t let polyamorous couples in.” He doesn’t look too disappointed by it, but Mark still regrets saying it all the same.

“Shit, sorry.” It’s not really a touchy subject but Mark still finds it infuriating when his friends have to walk in public looking like they’re just friends when really, their love probably beats even the most romantic love stories out there. “I’m sure you would have beaten everyone and got the prize handed to you on a silver platter.”

Jeno smiles, and Mark knows he’s okay. “We spared them.”

“Yeah.” Mark nods. “You’re coming to support us though, right?”

Jeno grins, chucking an arm around Mark’s shoulder and pulling him in. “Of course, how could I be your bestest friend ever if I didn’t come to support you?”

“But Donghyuck’s my best friend?” Mark jokes.

The boy shushes him. “That’s different.” He doesn’t know how. “I’m your best friend you don’t have feelings for.”

Mark tries to scoff, spluttering a bunch of offended noises and opening his mouth to defend himself because how dare Jeno just sprout out what Mark’s been trying to ignore for the past few months. Too bad the boy beats him to it before he can even say anything. “Don’t even try, Mark. I’ve known you since we were wearing diapers.”

He looks at Jeno who gives a _shut-up_ expression back to him and sighs because Jeno’s right, it’s futile to even try. “Is it that obvious?”

The pitying look is answer enough. “I mean, I don’t think Donghyuck knows. He’s surprisingly dense in matters concerning his love interests.”

“That's true.” Mark agrees absent-mindedly. “He didn’t realise half the suitors he had trailing after him back in high school.”

Jeno pokes Mark’s shoulder. “The difference between them and you though is, I’m pretty sure Donghyuck’s whipped for you too.” Jeno assures, already able to tell what the older is thinking. And Mark knows he’s only saying it to make him feel better, but it’s nice to think nevertheless.

He replies. “Yeah, at least one of us believes that.”

“You have to be stupid not to see the looks he sends you.” Jeno scrunches his face in frustration, as if Mark’s disbelief is the strangest thing he’s come across.

“You have to be stupid to be so delirious.”

“I’m telling you, Mark. It’s not as one-sided as you think.” Jeno pushes, eyes wide and honest.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He concedes, knowing in the end it’ll go nowhere if he carried on. He decides to switch to a topic he knows Jeno won’t be able to help but fall for. “So I’m assuming you’re bringing a huge banner?”

At first, it doesn’t seem like Jeno’s about to let the topic drop, but the idea of a banner is too much for him to resist and his smile is enough to confirm that. Crinkling eyes and all. Mark scratches his nose, dread already sweeping in. “God, I bet it’s going to be a headache-inducing and messy one.”

Jeno makes an affronted noise, pinching Mark’s shoulder where his hand rests. “I’ll have you known I’m the best artist in town. You’ll be lucky I’m spending my time making you the perfect banner. It’ll have everything! The others don’t stand a chance!” He tilts his chin up in pride.

Mark chuckles, choosing not to remind him of the time when their teacher once asked Jeno what animal he had been drawing to his self-portrait. “What are you planning on then?” He says instead.

It perks Jeno up even more. “I’m thinking yellow, because you have an obsession with comparing Donghyuck to the sun (“I don’t!”).” Jeno discloses, contemplating and stroking his chin with his free hand. “In the middle, it’ll say, in sparkly pink, ‘Follow the stars!’”

Mark furrows his brows, tapping his pen on the table in front. “Follow the stars?”

“Yeah,” Jeno says, winking at him. “Cause you’re my star, bro.”

“ _Bro_.”

 

\- ☼ -

 

It had all been a bit trivial when Mark realised his feelings for Donghyuck.

They were in Jeno’s room with some anime being played in the background and everything had been going _fine,_ really.

But then a hand came to rest on his thigh out of nowhere, and Mark was pretty sure Donghyuck didn’t even realise what he had doing back then, too busy staring at the screen to notice the surprised look on his face. It got increasingly hard to pay attention to the episode however when he noticed how warm Donghyuck’s hand were, how if Mark turned a fraction, he’d be able to see the soft tuft of mussed brown hair framing the boy’s face with moles littering his cheeks. It almost had made Mark want to reach out and trace it—

Struggling to watch the main character fight off a monster, Mark tried to pay attention to the series. It failed tragically when Donghyuck leaned his body into Mark, moving to rest his head on Mark’s shoulder. It was obvious the way Mark tensed, unsure for the first time of what to do even if Donghyuck had done this a million times before. Donghyuck peered up, the older feeling his gaze. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” It came out a bit terse, his mouth suddenly feeling dry for some reason. And no matter how many songs he had produced; at that moment, stringing more than two words seemed like a herculean task.

Donghyuck didn’t looked convinced either and he poked Mark’s side, the other yelping in pain. “You’re being weird.”

“You’re weird.” Mark immaturely replied.

The younger gave him a judging look. “Uh-huh.”

“Just focus on the movie.” He grumbled.

“I was,” Donghyuck pointedly said, “until you started acting like I’m a germ about to infect you.” His eyes were back on the screen, not as focused as it had been before. He seemed to be waiting for an answer.

Mark didn’t really know what reason to give. He wasn’t able to explain it himself either. “I swear, nothing’s wrong.”

“Are you sure?” He patted Mark’s thigh and there it was again. The feeling of his mouth literally turning useless and words all twisted in his mind. “You can tell me what’s wrong.”

He did appreciate Donghyuck’s worry but it was really unnecessary. “Yes Donghyuck, I’m fine. Stop worrying.”

“Can’t help it when you have a tendency to overthink your tiny brain.”

Mark spluttered, turning sideways to narrow his eyes at Donghyuck and reaching out to flick him on the forehead. He relished the small whine Donghyuck let out. “Here I was, thinking you were being nice.”

“I am nice!”

“I don’t think insulting the greatest friend you’ll ever have, counts as ‘being nice’.”

“Listen here-”

Jaemin’s voice boomed over the two. “Are you done flirting?” They tilted their heads up from where they were sitting on the floor to where Jaemin’s perched on the bed, looking at them with disgust. “Are you quite _done_ flirting?”

Donghyuck moved away (Mark totally didn’t make a noise of disapproval) to turn around and fully face Jaemin, clucking his tongue. “You’re just jealous you and Jeno have made no progress with the Chinese exchange student.”

“I did nothing!” Came Jeno’s defensive reply. “Why are you dragging me into this?”

He tuned the rest of their squabbling out.

Mark had been pretty glad Donghyuck was always the faster one to retort out of the two, because he was fairly sure anything he would have said would have been warbled. _Flirting_. He already felt his heart racing and Mark wouldn’t be surprised if he looked into a mirror now and see nothing but red painting over his face. It almost felt like he was in a sauna, but the sauna was too hot, and the room was too hot and basically everything was too hot, and Mark was probably dying.

It wasn’t a good feeling, to put it short.

“Mark, tell Jaemin that he’s being an idiot.” Donghyuck’s voice pulled him back in the conversation, his face slowly returning to its normal shade by then.

“Jaemin’s an idiot.”

The insulted boy just corked a brow, crossing his arms. “You didn’t even hear the conversation.” He pointed out, always the observant one out of their group.

Donghyuck cockily grinned, leaning back to Mark, tone dripping with smugness. “Mark doesn’t need to. We all know I only state facts.”

“More like you’re both co-dependent.” Jaemin mumbled. Mark had been thankful Donghyuck didn’t hear the boy, the comment drowned out by Jeno who began shushing everyone and trying to get them to watch the episode again. 

They settled down after that, and it was only until another episode began playing that everyone suddenly started getting sleepy. Mark heard Jaemin’s soft snuffles and after a while, he even felt Jeno shift above them on the bed, probably to cuddle the other boy. Mark had also thought Donghyuck had followed suit, but he let out a noise of surprise when he shuffled a little and a hand reached out to grab the front of his sweater, a sleepy lilt in the way Donghyuck spoke. “Stop moving so much.”

“O-Oh." Mark stammered. "I thought you were asleep.”

“M’not.” He sniffled, and the older felt his heart starting to act up again. It beat faster when Donghyuck moved around bossily that somewhere between Mark’s flushed cheeks and clammy hands, Donghyuck managed to fit in between Marks’ legs, sitting sideways so his legs went over one of Mark’s and he could snuggle into the older’s chest. Mark hoped the younger didn’t hear the thunder hammering against his rib cage.

“Warm.”

He tried not to act so tense, hands loosely hanging around Donghyuck. Everyone around him seemed to have nodded off and Mark’s the only one wide awake because what the fuck.

_What the actual fuck._

 

\- ☼ -

 

When Mark later discovered -thanks to Jaemin, who had to pause between every few words to laugh- his growing feelings for Donghyuck, he pitifully waited for the preceeding  _sike_ to come from the younger.

Sadly, Jaemin simply gave him a pat on the back and then proceeded to tell the whole world and their mothers about Mark’s new-found crush.

 

\- ☼ -

 

The day of the competition looms over sooner than expected, but for some reason, Mark doesn’t feel as anxious as he thought he would be. They're at a cafe currently, Donghyuck deciding a big breakfast is a must-have before the event. The older already feels his mouth watering at the sight of his order in front of him, a tower of blueberry pancakes stacked, the syrup running down it. Donghyuck's no better, having opted for the same. They also got giant milkshakes, _each_. There's a likelihood of a stomachache during the competition.

Neither really care however.

“Are you ready?” Donghyuck says, words a bit muffled over the pancake shoved in his mouth. His cheeks are stuffed, and he looks like a cute chipmunk. It’s adorable.

Mark hums, cutting his pancake. “I guess I have to be.”

Maybe it’s the way he replied but he doesn’t take note of the paused silence until a voice, a little small, echoes out. “We can still back out, you know?”

He looks up to see Donghyuck playing with his food and looking a bit unsure. “I’m okay, Donghyuck. Don’t worry.”

“You sure?” Donghyuck prods, “I feel like I pushed you into this.”

“You always do.” Mark answers straightaway, not sugar-coating anything. It causes Donghyuck to flinch, and he continues before the younger gets the wrong impression. “But, I’m not a pushover. You and I both know that.” He looks earnestly at the younger. “Don’t feel like you pressured me into it. If I hated it that much, I would have said no.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Donghyuck looks satisfied with the answer and he moves to carry on eating. “Good, because I’m pretty sure Jeno would be very sad he didn’t get to hold up his banner.” Mark snorts. “Renjun sent me a picture of it last night. When I say it’s obnoxious, I’m telling you the word is an understatement for it.”

“He’s just being sweet.” Mark laughs.

Donghyuck sighs, but there’s a fond look on his face. “Jaemin also made me a batch of good luck cookies this morning. He put salt instead of sugar, but don’t tell him that.”

Mark chews on his food, raising a brow. “Did you throw it away?”

“I should have." Donghyuck huffs. “But he spent all of last night attempting to bake those—" He clicks his tongue, "—and I'd be a monster to throw them away."

The other nods in agreement. “They sure are going all out for a simple competition.” Mark comments, shoving the last of his pancakes and patting his mouth with a napkin.

Donghyuck titters, tone awkward when he speaks. Mark’s too busy downing his milkshake to take note of it. “Yep, being our cheerleaders for the competition. The competition, cheerleaders, that’s what they are.”

He hums, waiting for Donghyuck to finish and drumming his fingers on top of the table. “I’m a bit disappointed they’re not going to come in like matching cheerleading uniforms or something.”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes, finishing his bit as well and sipping on his vanilla milkshake. “Don’t jinx it, I honestly wouldn’t put it past them.”

They chat for a bit after, letting the food settle down. The weather’s nice, cool but still warm enough for both of them to simply put on a thin sweater. They’re both wearing black jeans, cuffed up and completed with some scruffy shoes. Donghyuck had wanted to go with a couples’ look and Mark, as much as he found it cheesy, didn’t really mind, agreeing to it and letting his breath hitch when he picked up Donghyuck and saw how endearing the other looked, his pale blue sweater matching the one Mark’s adorned.

“You ready to go?” Mark looks at the clock, cracking his neck and stretching a little before standing up. “We should start heading soon.” An idea strikes him then, and he knows it’s a bit risky and stupid but if they’re going to do this, he might as well go all out. Moving first, he reaches down to link hands with Donghyuck as the younger gets up, entwining it and gripping it tight. He had imagine holding hands with Donghyuck before, and reality seems nicer. His hands are soft, like everything else.

It’s the first time Donghyuck looks so flustered however, looking up and down between their interlocked hands and Mark’s smug face. “What, what, what are you doing?”

He tugs Donghyuck towards the exit, looking back to wiggle his brows at him. “We are a couple now. Should start acting like one, don’t you think?”

Donghyuck’s jaw slacks, and it takes a while for him to answer. “Yeah, uh— I guess.”

He hums, strolling along the pavement, letting the sun hit his face while his own blushes next to him.

He can feel it.

It’s going to be a good day.

 

\- ☼ -

 

The field is huge and Mark marvels at the grand display the competition brings out. There’s a long row of stands, standing high and wide to accommodate everyone in. There’s a stage built in front of it, almost like a music show and when Mark looks a bit to the right, he sees a water-involved obstacle course. He flits down to their jeans. Clearly, they made a wrong decision to wear it.

He sees some of the eager audience already settling down on the stands and sends a text to Renjun, asking for their whereabouts.

“Shit, I forgot how big this field is.” Donghyuck mutters next to him, shuffling closer to Mark so he wouldn’t get lost in the sea of people wondering about.

Mark squeezes the hand he’s holding, a little sign of comfort. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Donghyuck answer, jumping up and down a little. “Just have to get used to it.”

His phone vibrates, and he sees Renjun’s text, _‘we’re in the mid section, the 2nd row. u can’t miss us. Jeno’s banner could be seen from the moon probs.’._ Donghyuck’s already looking over to read his message. “You want to go meet them?”

The boy checks his watch before shaking his head. “Nah, we’re going to be late otherwise.”

 _‘cool, we’ll see you after it ends. we’re gonna be late’_ Mark sends a reply back, shoving his phone in his back pocket and heading towards the back of the stage where they were told in the email to go. There’re some staff standing outside once they arrive, checking their confirmation letters before letting them in. 

Just as he makes a motion to comment about the event to Donghyuck, there’s a pat on his back. Mark looks back to see Lucas grinning widely at him. “Hey dude, fancy seeing you here!”

He’s here with someone else too, a boy who looks too stunning and soft to be in some mucky event, but Mark can see the mischief in his eyes and he figures it’s probably his idea to join this competition instead of Lucas’s. “Hey man, didn’t know you were joining?”

“We’re not!” Lucas smiles, putting an arm around his partner and squeezing him. “We’re last year’s winner!”

 _Well_. Mark didn’t see that one coming.

The boy giggles and it sounds the exact opposite to Lucas’s loud, boisterous one. Mark wonders how they met. “Hi, my name is Jungwoo. Lucas told me he was friends with you, Mark and…” He looks at Donghyuck.

The boy beside him finally speaks, greeting him with a polite smile. “Donghyuck. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Jungwoo replies and then a cheery, “Good luck! Just try to have fun! That’s what me and 'Cas here did.”

Lucas sends them a thumbs-up. “With how much Mark talks about you, I’m betting on you guys winning anyways.”

There’s a flush rising from his neck. Trust Lucas to say the most embarrassing thing in front of them.

“Uh.” Mark smartly says.

It’s Donghyuck who answers. “That’s reassuring to know. It’d be awkward if he didn’t.” He laughs, it’s a little fake but that’s only because Mark has known Donghyuck for so long. Lucas probably took the bait. Jungwoo, he isn’t quite sure.

And he’s right, Jungwoo looks blank for a moment, before returning to his normal smile, too quick for Mark to get anything out of it. “Yeah…really awkward.” He mumbles something else as well but Mark doesn’t quite catch it.

Neither does Lucas.

“Hm?” He looks at his boyfriend.

“Nothing.” Jungwoo pinches the boy’s cheek and returns his attention towards him and Donghyuck. “I’m rooting for you guys.”

“Thanks-”

“All contestants, please line up in a single file now. I repeat, all contestants, please line up in a single file now.” A staff butts in, screaming into the giant speakerphone they're holding at the front. Mark and Donghyuck glance at the people heading over, turning to give the couple in front, apologetic looks.

“We should probably go.” Mark laments.

“It was nice meeting you guys though. We should talk again!” Donghyuck adds in.

Lucas waves them off, his expression happy. “I’ll be cheering you on!”

They send one last wave back, spinning around to go and line up. Mark notices how the pairs have doubled by now, the full list of couples coming in. Some of them look far too nervous while others make a grand display of their affections. It’s a bit sickening.

Donghyuck clearly thinks the same because he scoffs. “Is all that PDA allowed?”

“This is a couples competition, you know?” He reminds Donghyuck, the younger crossing his arms.

“But surely that’s against the rules?”

“What rule?” Mark asks, baffled.

“Sabotaging other couples by making them want to throw up.”

Mark wants to laugh at Donghyuck’s clear disgust but something catches his eyes. There’s a couple a few feet in front of them and the boy seems familiar. Dark hair, tall and a side profile Mark’s seen before. He’s currently going through some cue cards - _yikes_ \- and is with a girl who’s eccentric, so to say. With bright green hair he’s only seen in idols from the music industry, she stands small against the boy, a haughty look on her face. It’s not the girl he cares about however, it’s the boy. He’s so familiar. Actually, he kind of looks like-

“Sejun.”

It’s not him who realises but Donghyuck, eyes going wide.

 _Sejun_.

Mark finds his fists already clenched, anger flickering inside him at the mere mention of the asshole’s name. He’s a peaceful person. Probably the most so out of their circle of friendship (well, besides Jeno). Yet there’s not a single restraint in him that would stop him from punching the guy every single time he spots him on campus. Sejun is the guy that would kick a cat when he sees it sleeping on the sidewalk. Sejun is the guy that steals a lollipop from a child’s hand. Sejun is the guy with so much blinding ego, Mark’s surprised the boy can still see.

Sejun is also Donghyuck’s ex-boyfriend.

Possessive, and arrogant, Mark wonders what ever influenced Donghyuck to go out with the human epitome of a dickhead. Granted, it only lasted a few months, but it had been a few months of death glares directed at him for no reason, a few months of him having to watch Donghyuck shrink more and more into a bubble and a few months of him trying to calm the chaos circling around his heart.

In the end, Donghyuck broke off with him before the semester even ended, for a reason Mark has yet to discover.

Sejun obviously didn’t take it well. A stingy remark here and there and text messages filled with unnecessary comments, Mark was fully prepared to reconstruct his face. It was only put to a stop when Jeno and Jaemin, along with Renjun who they had only befriended for a month but had already felt like they had known him for a decade, turned up to the lecture that Sejun was in and gave him a piece of their mind laced with threats. Mark still doesn’t know what they said to this day, but from what he’s heard, it had been mostly Jeno that led the interactions to stop and for life to carry on as normal.

(Jaemin had commented back then how under the angelic smile lied a slumbering beast. Mark didn’t really know what it meant but Renjun had nodded and he figured it was a boyfriend thing.)

“Can’t believe he found someone else.” Donghyuck snorts. Mark knows the boy’s over him. He would be stupid to still like someone who has a cactus shoved up his ass. “Look at them, reading cards. This is not _Who wants to be a millionaire_ , for god’s sake.”

Mark chuckles, placing an arm around Donghyuck and rubbing his shoulder. “Ignore it, they probably are going to need all the help they can get.”

Donghyuck smiles, reaching his right arm above to play with Mark’s fingers hanging loosely on him. “Think we can beat them?”

Mark looks at Donghyuck, and there’s not an ounce of doubt when he answers. “They don’t stand a chance.”

 

\- ☼ -

 

“Welcome to _Amor Fati!_ A competition to test a couple’s bond and see who comes out on top. Let’s make some noise, shall we?” Johnny, Donghyuck’s RA and the event’s host, roars, bringing a hand to his ear when the audiences scream. The stands have completely filled by now and there’s a couple of people even sitting on the grass in front.

It’s a bit nerve-wracking, but Donghyuck’s right here beside him. So it’s okay.

He spots their trio in the middle row, a huge banner spread across them and Donghyuck was right. Obnoxious is an understatement. Jeno’s banner is bright, so bright it looked like a fluorescent jacket people wear at night. There’re sparkles everywhere and he feels sorry for the people sitting below who'll be stuck getting it out for the next 50 years. To top it off, there, in pink writing, is the phrase Jeno said he was going to put. Obscene and bold.

Their faces are blurry but Mark doesn’t need to know that Renjun is surely out there, sighing heavily.

“Rules are simple. Three rounds to eliminate couples down to two and a final round to decide who really are the champion of this year’s _Amor Fati_.” Johnny looks back at all the couples standing in a row behind him. “Are you ready, couples?”

“Yeah!” Some shout back while Mark meekly tries. It feels a bit wrong to be here. _They’re not even a couple_!

“Are you ready, audiences?”

The reply is deafening and Mark should have probably invested in some ear plugs.

He leans down to whisper in Donghyuck’s ear. “You ready?”

Donghyuck grins. “As ready as ever.”

 

\- ☼ -

 

The first round are obstacles. Essentially, it's a marathon to go through, littered with sections that have stones used for massaging and hurdles scattered here and there. The aim is to try and avoid going out of the path constructed for them unless they wanted water blasted at them from the staff at the sides with water guns, and to be quick. The fastest ten couples make it through.

Mark’s not really worried since he knows Donghyuck had been in the dancing club in high school and he, himself, had been on the track and field team. Their endurance and speed isn’t something that’s a disadvantage and he’s being a bit arrogant by thinking it, but he really thinks they’ll smash it.

That is until, Mark finds out one of them has to be blindfolded.

Unfortunately, from there on , it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

 

\- ☼ -

 

“Walk in a straight line.” He crows, pinching the bridge of his nose when Donghyuck walks sideways instead, toeing out of the path and shrieking when a jet of water hits his face. “A straight line, you idiot, a straight line!”

“Do you think I can make out what a straight line is, you insolent piece of shit!” Donghyuck screams back, hair looking like a wet mop and clothes soaked. He looks like he’s a word away from just letting out a string of curses and Mark takes a few deep breaths, being the calmer out the two.

“Sorry.” He grunts and tries again. “Turn a bit to your right- yep, that’s enough. Now, walk slowly.” Mark shouts from where he’s sitting on a stool on stage to the wreckage happening down below. “That’s it, no, move a bit to your right again, yes.”

Mark continues navigating Donghyuck until he sees the last thing blocking their path. “There’s a hurdle coming in front of you.”

“How tall?”

“Uh,” Mark scratches his head. “Like a quarter of my height?”

Donghyuck stops and runs his hand through his wet hair, letting it fray out. He hisses. “Oh yeah, let me just stand here and calculate that. While I’m at it, why don’t you give me some maths problems to solve too?” A staff next to him starts laughing.

Mark huffs, speaking into the mic provided. “Stop being so snarky with me. It’s reaches- I think, your thighs.”

“Thank you.” Donghyuck replies sarcastically, rolling his sleeves up and shivering a bit. No matter how nice the weather is, it would still feel cold being completely drenched. Mark should have asked to do it instead of Donghyuck. Too late to dwell on it now however. He focuses on the boy who walks bit by bit, approaching near the hurdle in front.

“Okay, stop. You’re by the hurdle now. Just lift your leg up.” Donghyuck does so, wobbling a little. “And slowly extend it to place it further from you.” He lets a quiet noise of triumph when Donghyuck ends up with the hurdle between his legs. “Good! Now, move your other leg carefully- that’s it.”

He wipes the sweat forming around his forehead. Whoever designed this obstacle, clearly wanted couples to suffer. “Okay, just walk a bit. There’s a finish line a metre away from you.”

The stopwatch halts when Donghyuck makes his way to the line, an indication from the crowd’s clapping ( _Was that Jaemin’s scream?_ Mark’s ear perks up) to signify he’s finished.  Removing his blindfold, his expression is one of an angry cub that’s been made to go through something they didn’t like. It’s funny if not a little cute. Mark’s going to have to ask Jaemin for the pictures; he knows the younger took them, no doubt.

Johnny cheers -he’s a little biased, Mark realises-, “Great Job, Hyuckie!”

Donghyuck twists back to send a heart pose to him. “Thank you!” He screams. Mark wants to point out he did the instructions too but Donghyuck looks far too happy at having completed the challenge so he relents, cheering alongside Johnny instead.

And despite the struggles in the beginning, they managed to place 7th, comfortably heading to the second round.

Sejun and his partner places 8th.

Donghyuck’s face just looks a little smug. Just a little.

 

\- ☼ -

 

It’s a few minutes till the second round starts and the couples are busy backstage, using the towels provided to dry the ones who got wet by the challenge. Mark feels sorry for Donghyuck who hasn't stopped shivering, his hair frizzled and his teeth chattering. He’s got his arms wrapped around him and his sweater sags under the heaviness. Mark just wants to huddle him by the heater and make him some hot chocolate.

“Take your sweater off.” He says after a while. Donghyuck looks at him as if he’s dumb, a look he’s mastered over the years after giving countless ones to Mark. 

“What, and get hypothermia?”

“No, idiot.” Mark chides, leaning away to shrug his sweater off. It leaves him in a t-shirt but he doesn’t feel too cold. The challenge made him sweat if anything. “Wear my sweater, at least it should help your top half stay warm.”

“Oh.” Donghyuck takes it gingerly and fiddle with the hems of his wet one. Mark wonders what he’s waiting for, staring intently at Donghyuck. “Can you, um, turn around?”

What? _Oh._

He averts his gaze, turning sideways and trying not to blush. He sees Donghyuck changing out the corner of his eyes, blurry enough not to see him clearly but at least evident enough to know the boy hadn’t worn a t-shirt underneath. It makes Mark want to cover him up but he’s pretty sure the others aren’t even paying attention to them. It’s really only him that always has his sight on the boy whenever he's in his vicinity. “You done?”

“Yeah.” He spins back and really, Donghyuck doesn’t look any different. Still the same blue sweater he wore last time, the only difference being the logo in the middle. He looks the same and yet Mark can’t stop the smile on his face. At the fact that he’s wearing Mark’s sweater. It’s a sign for just how head over heels he is for the boy.

“Thank you.” Donghyuck mumbles. Mark simply hums, going back to dry the boy’s hair with the towel.

“No problem.”

 

\- ☼ -

 

“So, we have whittle it down to ten couples.” Johnny announces. “How are you finding it so far, folks?” The crowd cheers and Mark’s finally beginning to feel a little of their spirit in him. He’s not that competitive, but maybe it’s the atmosphere but he kind of wants to win now.

Donghyuck looks more upbeat as well, so that’s nice.

“This round, it’s the other person’s turn to get blindfolded.” Johnny explains, smiling at the couples remaining. “Yes, you guessed it. It’s ‘cop a feel’ round, a challenge where the blindfolded must recognise their partner through- drumroll please!”

The audiences join in when Johnny starts to improvise and slap his thigh, the noise reverberating through. “- _Face_! That’s right, this year it’ll be a round of faces. Easier than last year.” Johnny comments. “Hands were a lot harder. Lucas sure did a great job back then, didn't he?”

The mention of last year’s couple sends another round of whooping and Mark realises he underestimated just how popular this event was in their university. Perhaps it’s because he didn’t really care but there seemed to be a hype he has never seen before, not even at the university’s yearly basketball matches.

“Could I ask those being blindfolded to step to the other side, please?”

There’re couples giving each other kisses, on the cheek, on the lips and Mark wants to sneer. They’re not going off to the North Pole, it’s literally a few metres away from them. _Crazy people_ , he thinks. He looks at Donghyuck who just mushes his cheeks, smiling. He wraps his arms around Donghyuck’s waist, whining when it starts to hurt a little. “Good luck, Markiepoo. Do you want me to smother you in kisses too?”

He knows the younger is joking but the simple suggestion still makes his heart beat a little faster. He knows Donghyuck’s acting but what can he do? He’s a sucker for him. “Shut up.” It’s stifled because Donghyuck’s still squeezing his cheeks but it makes the other giggle.

Donghyuck lets go, leaving his cheeks sore and sends a fighting pose, “Good luck!”

Mark returns the gesture before heading to line with the others, spotting Sejun who had already been looking at him. There’s a glower on his face and Mark wants to stick his tongue out because _ha,_ he’s with Donghyuck now. Might be an act and all but Sejun doesn’t know that.

They get blindfolded by a bunch of staffs, his vision suddenly turning black. It’s quite scary, not being able to see but Donghyuck’s done this and gone through a hoard of obstacles so Mark just shakes his nerves off and cracks his fingers.

He knows he’s seventh, their ranking deciding when they go up so he relaxes, letting the contestants before him go and just stands there, contentedly listening to Johnny speak.

“Sixth contestant, please make your way forward.” He hears Johnny saying, feeling a presence beside him disappear. Mark plays with his fingers as the previous contestant fails to match his partner, the second person to do so. That must have been awkward.

“You stupid idiot!” There’s a girl’s voice shrieking and Mark hears a series of slaps. _Ouch_.

Johnny seems to be trying to placate the situation, his voice a little frantic. “Please stop. Take this as a test of love. You guys will make it out stronger!”

“Test of love, my ass. You’re crazy!” The boy retorts. _Double ouch._

Johnny’s voice carries on as if he hadn’t just heard them break up in front of the whole, wide audience. “Will you let a small thing like this get in the way?”

Mark wants to laugh but he places his hand on his mouth, muffling it. It’ll be rude if he suddenly snorted out loud. No way was that couple ever going to get back together now. Johnny’s just too positive, and Mark reckons it’s the reason why he got chosen to host the event; it’s practically needed considering what they have to go through with some of the couples here. He shivered, remembering the girl in the earlier round who grab her boyfriend’s hair and pulled it in anger.

(This competition surely brought out the worst in people.)

He stays silent afterwards, pulling his arms behind his back and waiting for his turn.

“Seventh contestant, please step forward.” That’s him, Mark recognises a beat later. There’s a hand clasping around his elbow, leading him to where he thinks the other contestants are -Donghyuck somewhere in them-. Johnny pulls his hand towards the first one and straightaway Mark can tell it isn’t Donghyuck.

He mumbles to himself, the headset with the mic attached, filtering it out loud. “This isn’t Donghyuck.”

Johnny sounds pleased when he asks. “Why is that?”

“Their eyes are too small.” It’s probably a bit rude but Mark couldn’t really find anything else to say.

They move on, second and third, both of which Mark could detect weren’t Donghyuck. Second one didn’t have as sharp as a jawline as he did and the third one had no lips. Saying that earned him a whack on the shoulder from the contestant and titters from the audience.

_Note to self: never say someone has no lips._

Fourth had a big face but Mark’s scrambles to find something else to say. He has certainly learned his lesson after the last one. “Their um, face shape isn’t right.”

It’s when he gets to the fifth one that he starts feeling around. It feels like Donghyuck but Mark’s not too hasty to make a decision just yet. There’s a touch of his round eyes, chocolate brown ones that Mark remembers getting lost in more times than not. When he travels further down, there’s the little button nose he likes booping just to see Donghyuck’s face scrunch up. And his heart-shaped lips that Mark trails along to, wishing nothing more than to be able to capture them with his own.

“Is this your partner?” Johnny asks.

“Hold on.” Mark replies because there’s one last thing he wants to do, just to be 100% sure. He moves to cup the person’s face with his hands and _yeah_. That’s how he can tell it’s Donghyuck. It just feels right, and he knows this because he’s done it so many times before. When Donghyuck had been crying from feeling home-sick, and Mark was wiping away his tears. When Donghyuck had been feeling insecure whilst being with Sejun and Mark had forced Donghyuck to face him, compliments filtering out of his mouth like no tomorrow.

It’s Donghyuck, through and through.

“This is him.” And Mark doesn’t need the sound of the audience to tell him he’s right.

The blindfold is ripped off and just like he thought, the grinning face of Donghyuck greets him, cheeks flushed with pride.

Johnny looks giddy too, almost like a fangirl. Mark’s just a little weirded out. “How did you know?” He asks.

Mark finds he’s still cupping Donghyuck’s face and he lets go, abashed, stroking the back of his nape as a habit. “Um, just felt right?”

“What, cupping his face?”

It sounds weird when Johnny puts it like that. “…Yeah.”

“So cute!” The host squeals and it’s funny coming from a 6ft tall boy who looks like he can lift both him and Donghyuck up. “You’re through to the third round, congrats!”

They make their way backstage afterwards and Mark looks at Donghyuck who’s still grinning to himself. “What?”

The boy shakes his head, ruffling Mark’s hair. “Nothing.”

He wants to question Donghyuck more but the staff is pushing them to the side and then they’re getting ready for the third round and in the end, it just ends up getting lost at the tip of his tongue.

 

\- ☼ -

 

Mark doesn’t really expect it but they’re whizzing swimmingly through the third round, the deciding challenge that just went on and on until there were two remaining couples. A quiz round, it basically tested the knowledge couples had for one another. Perhaps Jeno had been right when he said they were an old, married couple but it’s been a smooth ride so far. Mark knew Donghyuck like the back of his hand and vice versa. Each question seemed like a child’s play. It’s stuck-up for him to think so, but he couldn’t help gasping when each couple got eliminated for getting the wrong answer.

Surely, they should know what show was their partner’s favourite. Him and Donghyuck weren’t even a couple and he knew Donghyuck’s was that stupid anime he always talked about and sometimes cornered him into an hour-long rant session.

With each question however, it slowly brought the number of pairs down, Mark watching them all stalk off, disappointed at not getting the same answer as their partner.

And soon enough, they were down to just three remaining pairs.

He sees Donghyuck on the other side, clutching his whiteboard and pen. The boy seems serene but Mark can somehow tell, Donghyuck’s just as surprised as he is. Honestly, he still isn’t able to wrap his mind around how they’re just a breath away from snatching the title.

 _“We go in, we act like we’re the gross, cheesy couple on every honeymoon website and we win, bam! Money’s ours!”_ He remembers Donghyuck saying.

Weird, very weird.

He looks out to the crowd and sees the banner, that’s now pathetically sagging to the side, Renjun and Jaemin giving up and not even clutching it whilst Jeno makes a poor attempt at holding a banner bigger than himself. If he squints, he can make out the three watching in vivid attention, every once in a while, one of them whispering to the others’ ears. Mark knows when they spot him looking at them, all three waving and giving little finger hearts.

They’ll deny ever doing it later on, but Mark still appreciates the gesture.

He returns to look at Johnny, who picks his mic up to broadcasts another question.

“If you guys could travel to any destination as a holiday, where will it be?” _Shit,_ how the hell is he supposed to know where Donghyuck wants to go? They’re not a couple after all. It doesn’t really help that he can’t even look at Donghyuck, a rule put in place to stop pairs from cheating.

“You have one minute, everyone.”

Mark lowers his head, chewing on his nails as he racks his brain to think of a place. Where does Donghyuck want to go? Somewhere sunny? He knows Donghyuck likes summer and hot weather, always looking for a reason to head out when June comes around. Maybe somewhere beachy? Donghyuck was born in Jeju right? He taps on his board. Or maybe Donghyuck would like a city place? Osaka? London? New York? A place where he can eat what he wants, take as many pictures as he likes and do as many things as he can. He knows the younger isn’t that picky however, opting to go to whatever restaurants Mark picks out or go out rain or shine if Mark suggests something.

And it’s like _ding, ding, ding!_ A bulb lights up!

Quickly scribbling down the answer, he writes it just in time to Johnny getting up. “Times up, guys!”

He goes around looking at the other side’s answer, ooh-ing and aah-ing at them. “ _Interesting_.” He notes. “On the count of three then, please reveal your answers. 1, 2, 3!”

Mark flips his board around, zooming into Donghyuck’s whiteboard. It brings a smile to his face.

 _Canada_.

It’s cold there, there isn’t a beach where Mark lives and it’s possibly the furthest thing from what the younger likes. But it’s a country Mark loves, and from that, he had known straightaway the answer Donghyuck would have jotted down.

They jump in their seats when the crowd cheers and Mark belatedly realise one of the couple had left, having gotten the wrong answer.

 _Wait_.

That means-

They both look at each other at the same time.

 _They’re in the final_.

 

\- ☼ -

 

Maybe it’s karma for lying about being a couple but when the ultimate round comes and Mark looks up to identify who made it to the final as well, he sees Sejun’s face smirking back at him.

_Fuck._

 

\- ☼ -

 

“Congratulations to the final two couples. Please give them another round of applause!” Johnny hollers, letting the crowd go crazy with their screams. He notices his friends cheering alongside and grins when Jaemin captures his attention, making a notion to punch Sejun. And believe him, if Mark could, he wouldn’t hesitate.

Johnny turns to face them first, eyes sparkling in mirth. He must be happy they got through. “Can I ask for your names please?”

Donghyuck grabs the microphone first, a confident smile on his face. “My name is Donghyuck, and this is my lovely boyfriend, Mark.” It sounds so natural, the way the word ‘boyfriend’ rolls of Donghyuck’s tongue. Almost as if they are a couple. It makes something inside Mark twists.

He clears his throat, waving at the audience. “Hello, it’s me, the lovely boyfriend.” It garners a few laughs from the audience and a chuckle from Johnny.

He moves to give the microphone to the other couple, and Mark wonders if anyone can notice the little glare-off he has with the boy, eyes narrowing and weighing each other up. Like two lions prowling.

“Name’s Sejun.” He says cockily, leaning down to give a quick peck on his girlfriend’s cheek. “This is my babe, Starr. With an extra ‘R’.”

Donghyuck coughs and his voice is only quiet for Mark to hear. “Yeah, she needs the extra ‘R’ all right, for being ridiculous enough to go out with him.”

It’s too late to stop the chortle that comes out of his mouth, the others looking at him in confusion. “Sorry, carry on. Just something- um, caught my throat.”

Donghyuck giggles besides him and Mark nudges the boy in retaliation, shushing him from making any more comments, no matter how funny they might be.

Introduction done, Johnny receives the mic back and he looks to the crowd. “Are you ready for the last round?”

A chorus of ‘ _yes’_ resonates back.

Mark moves to grip Donghyuck’s hand, the only anchor to his otherwise, downward spiral of anxiousness. _Just what's in store for them_ _?_ He looks at Johnny who waits a few moments, just to amp the tension up. “It’s PDA time guys, because for the last round, you’ll be deciding who the winners are!” He faces the two pairs. “You’ll be given a few minutes to show off just why you’re the couple to be. Any confessions, anecdotes, even some spicy making out, anything that you think will help woo the audience.”

Mark spins his head to look at Donghyuck, sees him already looking back at Mark and for once, he can’t read Donghyuck’s expression, so many emotions clouding his eyes and nothing he can pin-point.

_They’re so going to lose._

And it’s not as if they can’t do it. Because they can. They can give them one hell of a show. But. It’s too much for Mark. A step too far for the boundaries he had put up when he agreed to be a couple with Donghyuck. Because the little touches, he can handle, the awkward flirting here and there, no problem. But having to hear Donghyuck lie through his teeth about how he feels for Mark? He knows he’ll break down.

To have to hear all the speeches playing out in his dream but knowing it’s a short-lived reality? That it’ll all be an act for Donghyuck? Sorry but Mark would rather spare himself the heartbreak. Jeno can say what he wants, but Mark isn’t going to jeopardise their friendship just because his friend thinks Donghyuck likes him back.

He doesn’t. Mark’s sure.

“Sejun and Starr, you’re up first.” Johnny says, motioning them to step aside.

It’s all muscle memory making him move that Mark doesn’t even realise he has reached the end the platform, snapping out of it to see the other pair taking centre stage. He looks out the corner of his eyes and it’s easy to spot the worry on Jeno’s face, no matter how blurry their faces might be.

Should they quit? Or should they make a poor show of it? It seems like a big waste for them to make it this far but Mark’s set on this. He doesn’t want to mess it up and go home to wallow in his misery with a tub of ice cream, thank you very much.

The audience suddenly cheer, and Donghyuck gasps. Mark looks at the front and there stands Sejun, bending his girl down to plant one on her.

“Eugh.” Mark can’t help but let the noise slip out. He’s only thankful he doesn’t have that headset attached to him.

Rolling his eyes so hard there’s little spots dancing in his vision when he blinks, Mark tuts. He honestly doesn’t see anything to wow over. What is the big deal with that anyways? It’s as if the audience has never seen anyone kiss before and they’re like some child discovering that Santa left them some presents on Christmas Day. Have they never seen like half the dramas and movies on tv? He can probably switch on a channel right now and there’ll be a couple making out.

They’re _still_ kissing when Johnny cuts them off, and the look on the couples’ faces can only be describe as smug.

“That sure was something.” The host remarks, and having seen the older enough times before, Mark knows it’s a judging look.

“What can I say, I’m just showing my love.” The crowd whoops. Sejun looks more arrogant if anything.

Johnny -thank god- doesn’t look as amused as the group out there seemed to be. “ _Okay_. Anyways, let’s give it up for Sejun and Starr!” The screams are a bit loud. Mark feels nauseous.

“Time for the other couple to step up and wow the audience.”

Mark moves to the centre, legs marching there on reflex because if anyone could see the insides of his mind right now, it’s probably just be a white image with _Intermission_ written in the middle.

“Lead the way.” Johnny says, and the crowds cheer for a bit. It quickly dies down however, when both Mark and Donghyuck fumble about, neither exactly sure on what to say.

Donghyuck brings up the mic to try and get rid of the stiff silence, glancing at Mark worriedly. “Uh. One-time Mark brought me ramen in the dead of night just because I was craving it.” He gives a clenched smile. Clearly, it sounded better in his head. “It was awesome.”

_Crickets. Chirping._

A person whoops and another quickly shushes him. Mark doesn’t even have to squint to know it’s Jeno and Renjun.

He thinks he would rather re-visit his middle school prom than have to sit through all this. He can hear the cars driving past on the other side. _That’s_ how silent it is. He makes a move to just surrender when someone suddenly starts shouting. “Kiss!”

_Oh no._

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

And it’s like a floodgate opens up because it quickly grows, grows until it sounds like a demonic chant and Mark can practically feel the sound vibrate under his shoes.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

No matter how loud the chants are getting, it’s futile. Mark isn’t going to do it. Not even because they’re not a couple. Not even because he’ll be heart-broken. But because he knows Donghyuck and he knows the younger hates things like this. Things like being pressured into doing something he doesn’t want to.

Taking a peek at Donghyuck, the youngers eyes are enough to convey everything he wants to convey.

And it looks like he’s about to bolt any minute.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

He’s about to tell Johnny that they’re just going to give up but a voice slices through the cheering, an irate tone coming from the side.

“I’m not surprised he's not kissing him, he’s always been frigid.”

It’s a quiet comment, one that Mark’s pretty certain only him, Donghyuck and Johnny can hear. He’s not even sure the other meant for them to hear but it makes Mark’s blood boil all the same. Donghyuck stills next to him, and looks down, avoiding everyone’s stare. It reminds Mark back when Donghyuck had came to him in tears, looking so small when he had asked if he was being stupid for not wanting to reciprocate something if he didn't feel like it.

Mark remembers how it had taken him three hours to get Donghyuck to smile, and how he had vowed that day to never let anyone make his sunshine cry if he can ever help it.

So he knows Donghyuck’s trying everything he can not to breakdown in front of them right now.

And when there’s no remorse in Sejun’s expression, Mark can’t help but see red, pure fury in his eyes. It’s enough to make the boy flinch.

Because how dare he say that?

Donghyuck’s the gold found in a heap of stones, and Mark’s had enough of keeping all these thoughts inside him, letting assholes like Sejun say their negative ones instead.

It might cost him a friendship but when Mark vowed that day to always try and make Donghyuck happy, he meant it.

Grabbing the mic Donghyuck has clutched his hands, his knuckles that are turning white, Mark’s decision is resolute.

But, he’ll confess in a minute. First, he wants to do something about the crowd.

“Stop chanting ‘kiss’, for fuck's sake.” It shuts them up real quick. Mark turns to the audience, channelling his inner Donghyuck to give an exasperated expression. “What is the big deal with having to kiss someone to display affection? Is making out the only way to show someone you love them? Are words not enough? Are you going to go to the person you love and communicate with them through the language of kisses? Because I’m sorry but I’m going to need a translator if you are.”

He spins around to look at Donghyuck, watching his big, brown eyes stare at him. “Donghyuck Lee. I like you. I like you so much (Mark’s pretty sure it’s love but that’s not something he wants to disclose in front of a crowd of university students). You bring out the best and worst in me. And I don’t mean the cheesy shit. I mean the best as in making me able to fry an egg without burning the whole kitchen down and the worst as in getting me obsessed in your stupid sport animes. Like I never thought I’d be sitting up waiting for the next episode of _Haikyuu_ , but here we are.”

Donghyuck giggles and it gives the courage Mark needs to go on.

“You make my world a more exciting place, even if that’s just us going on adventures to apparently find an alien you were so sure was in your back garden or simply sitting down at the local donut shop and throwing our summer diets out the window. Everyday is a day I wake up thinking about what you might have in store, what new facts I’ll find out about you and what shenanigans we’re getting up to this time.” He holds Donghyuck’s hand and finds it clammy.

“Like today, I found out holding your hand unexpectedly makes you blush. And you can bet, I'm going to exploit it like hell.”

“Don’t you dare.” Donghyuck whispers.

“So, we might not win this round. We might not win the money but- and wait for this guys, here comes the cheesy part-, I think I can leave here happy knowing I won the best thing in my life.” He smiles nervously at Donghyuck. “You.”

There’s a thousand emotions running through the younger’s face and it’s Jeno’s voice in the back of his head that pushes him to say the final few sentences. “And that’s the truth. I mean every, single, word of it.”

It’s a double meaning.

There’s surprise on the boy’s face. He’s pretty sure he can hear a squeal from the crowd. He’s also pretty sure it’s Jaemin.

He knows Donghyuck can tell what he’s implying. He’s smart, always have been, always will be.

So now all he can do really, is wait.

He find his hands shaking when Donghyuck tentatively takes the microphone out of Mark, eyes gleaming.

“You absolute idiot.” It’s not the set of words Mark wants to hear but what did he honestly expect when he fell in love with Donghyuck. “You bring out the best in me too, by helping me be a champion performer at Mario Kart and the worst, by making me create a stupid SoundCloud account just to follow you.”

Mark makes an offended noise.

His eyes zone in on Mark and there’s mischief in it. “A day without you is like Homer without his Marge, Bonnie without his Clyde, jam without bread, cheese without ham- “

“I get it!” Mark laughs, shaking his head in amusement at all the cheesy things Donghyuck’s listing out.

Donghyuck smiles. “Just checking you haven’t turned into a sap.” He has, but only for him. “I like you too, Mark Lee. I like you a lot. So don’t ever think I’ll chose money over you, or anything over you. Wait, maybe pizza when I’m really craving it (He whines when Mark slaps his shoulder). I’m kidding! You know I only have my eyes on you.” He winks, and Mark finds himself falling more in love. “So, I want to leave here, regardless if we win or not, with you being my boyfriend, holding my hand and staying right beside me.”

He stares at Mark, face clear and open for the older to see. “And that’s the truth too. I mean every, single word of it.”

Mark blinks.

Then it’s all in slow-motion; him hugging Donghyuck, the younger returning it, them tightly holding onto each other-

_The crowd going wild._

 

\- ☼ -

 

“You really meant all that?” It comes out breathless, probably because Mark did one hell of job kissing the daylights out of Donghyuck when they managed to get back to the younger’s room. The door had closed shut just in time for Donghyuck to push Mark to the wall and slot his mouth over his. Mark returned it just as eager, readily opening his mouth to let Donghyuck’s tongue venture in.

Mark leans away to give the younger an  _are you kidding me_ stare, trying not to let his mind wander when he sees Donghyuck’s cherry, red lips. “No, I’m just felt like saying all that because I wanted to become the next Shakespeare.”

Donghyuck huffs, “Out of all the traits you got influenced by, it had to be my sarcasm.”

Mark smirks, pulling Donghyuck aside and turning him around so he’s the one pinned against the door. Donghyuck blinks in surprise, his arms loosely hanging around the older’s neck while Mark travels his hand down to rest on Donghyuck’s waist, the other coming up to caress his face. “More kissing, less talking.” Mark murmurs.

He smiles when Donghyuck rolls his eyes, mouth already attaching back onto his.

It feels like bliss, his tongue slipping into the warm cavern and starting to lightly suck on Donghyuck’s own, enjoying when Donghyuck’s hand moves from Mark’s shoulder up towards his soft hair to pull it tightly, whining when Mark moves away from their kiss to give a haggard moan. He closes his eyes, smiling when Mark begins dropping light kisses on his jaw instead, travelling further down and starting to suck on his neck. The younger feels the heat absorbing his consciousness and all he can do is let Mark harshly nip at Donghyuck’s neck, the older watching delightfully when red blossom on the spot.

Once Mark deem the love bites on Donghyuck’s neck good enough, he moves up to kiss Donghyuck, making out with him long enough for Donghyuck to lean away, leaving Mark to chase his lips.

“Wait, let me just catch my breath.” It comes out in pants, and Donghyuck’s grip on Mark’s shoulder gets tighter.

The older pouts but settles at gazing Donghyuck's face, giving soft little pecks while he waits for the younger to cool down.

It’s a few moments later and Mark thinks they can go back to making out, brows furrowing when Donghyuck starts blushing instead, their frivolous act only having caught up in his mind now and moving away whenever Mark tries giving anything longer than a peck. He ignores Mark’s little whine, opting to play with the boy’s hair and asking the question bugging in his mind. “Any ideas how we're going to spend the five grand now?”

The question makes him grin however, because Mark already knows how. He had known the moment they were announced as winners. At the younger’s inquisitive stare, he pecks Donghyuck again before answering, just because he can.

“How does Canada for the summer sound?

**Author's Note:**

> as much as mark says this, they'll probably end up using the five grand for uni purposes,,,,,,like books,,,,and food,,,,but we can all dream,,,,  
> if you made it to here, i thank you <3  
>  **fun fact!** my university actually has this competition, it's not as grand-scaled and certainly doesn't attract like 1000 students who'd rather spent their day in their rooms but it's quite popular and that's how i got this fic idea from!!!! :')))))  
>  talk to me on **[twitter](https://www.twitter.com/heavenleehyuck)** about donghyuck uwu ;;;;;


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